The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-05-27
BOSTON CORRESPONDENCE.
The Collection of Rembrandts at the
Art Museum-Revivlng an Old Art
Kapiolani's Visit.


BosToN, May, 1887.
Yesterday we went to the Art Museum to
see Rembrandt's etchings. The importance
Of this collection it is needless for me to
dwell upon. Mr.. Koehler has arranged the
prints admirably, the greatest number of
which are from the Sewall collection of New
York, though some few are from other
sources. The chronological method Of ar
ranging them has been chosen, and Que can
study the development of the artist from the
year 1923, when Rembrandt was but twenty
one, down to the day Of his death. OF the
best and truly representative plates fairly
clear Impressions are shown. and the
collection is practically complete. If, as
most Of us believe, Rembrandt was the great
est etcher in the world, and that true and
untouched etching by him contains all that
the etcher need know, it will be seen what
rare pleasure is given to the Boston public.
In the first case hang all of Rembrandt's work
up to the time he left Leyden and came to
Amsterdam as a master of painting. One of
the first plates. supposed by some to be a
portait Of his mother, shows at that age
his complete mastery of his art. Following
this, are some astonishing little studies, and
so minute and faithful to life are the tiny fig-
ures in these sketches, notably in the "Cir-
cumcision," that one is startled afresh by the
realism of the man. The large plate Of ''Di-
ana Bathing" struck me as wonderful. REM
brandt in this plate shows great skill in rend-
ering flesh, foliage, water, the rich texture
of velvet and the rough trunk of trees. Pass
ing on we come to the trio Of portraits of
Rembrandts mother, which are remarkably
line; in one, especially, the model OF the
broad hat and embroidered mantle" is a
well-known and beautiful plate, and also the
PERSIAN" and the famous "Jewish Bride"
with its marvellous and complex execution.
Beside Of this last are to be seen the minia-
ture portraits Of Rembrandt and his wife
Saskia. Further on, we come to his later
style, where vivid effects of light seem to be
his aim. Only rapid glance at these most
wonderful Of all his pictures was vouchsafed
us, as the afternoon was waning and we
were due elsewhere. Another time hope to
do justice to the rest of this great collection.
Going out of the building we walked through
the rooms OF ancient sculpture, where one or
two additions have been made since last we
were here. Could any art be in greater con-
trast to this rigid idealiSm Of the Greeks, re-
jecting all but the beautiful, than the mod
ern realism Of Rembrandt creating beauty
out of light and shadow and texture, making
the study Of the commonplace beautiful by
the sympathy and tenderness of his treat
l.
nothing but joy in this study Of the real, this
truth" of Rembrandt.
Mr.. Herbert H. ID. Peirces leather hang
ings at Doll d Richards's are causing good
deal of favorable criticism. This great piece
Of decorated leather Is exceedingly rich, deep
and glowing in its coloring. Since the de-
cline Of the Renaissance. when Cordova and
Flanders, Florence and England str0ve to
rival each other in the production Of stamped
leather, the art has been dead one. Mr..
hos dot nod 70 haa 20, f,.1k
principles and revive it. He has chosen as
a subject for the design an old and wonder
full etching by Flemish artist, selecting a
single section of it, showing mailed knight
on plunging horse, richly caparisoned, and
behind them a wall Of spear shafts and hell
NETS. The color is splendid, the background
being so highly glazed that it flashes with
all the hues of gold and brass and copper
Mr.. Peirce's method is to work on back
ground of whole OK hides, cutting the out
silyering and gliding the metal, and painting
in wax colors. The result Is very fine.
Good Queen Kapiolani has left us. She
showed herself much pleased with all the
sights Of Boston, bidding farewell in
most novel manner to her friends. 1t seems
it is the custom in Hawaii to compliment
honored guests when departing, by placing
about their necks wreaths of flowers, so the
queen introduced this graceful mark Of her
appreciation of the kindness shown her by
decking his honor, the Hibernian mayor and
the other gentlemen present with garlands
entwined by her own fair hands.
The air is thick with the rumOrs of strikes
and coming strikes, and the good thing Ed
ward Everett Hale said the other day in re-
gard to the labor organizations undertaking
to give the law to the whole land should be
taken to heart by these shortsighted men.
While speaking at the convention Of the Al
pha Delta Phi Society, he remarked that
once certain man named George the Third
attempted to rule this country by class Of
redcoats, and they were driven into the sea (;
another class OF men wearing black coats
tried to rule and they have been obliged to
go; the men in blue oyeralls who are now
following the example Of their predecessors,
must, like them, be defeated. A friend of
mine met a little mission school scholar of
hers the other day, smartly rigged out in
ribbons and feathers, with suspiciously hol-
iday air about her. why. Maggie, are you
out at such an hour?" she asked her. 81
thought you worked in carpet factory
"0h," replied the mite, we've struck for
higher wages; they give us fifty cents q day
and we won't take less than sixty and" with
a toss of her bright curls. 1--WE expect to be-
| gin work again next week."
V NJ